It's not just the current Milwaukee Bucks who are struggling as of late. Former beloved center Brook Lopez has had a torrid start to 2026, and the upturn in the Los Angeles Clippers' form could see him fall apart with no sign of recovery.
Clippers getting the worst version of Brook Lopez right now
Since the turn of the year, Lopez has averaged 4.7 points and 2.5 rebounds on shooting splits of .250/.182/1.000 in 17.1 minutes. In the 10 games to kick off 2026, the Clippers have turned their fortunes around, winning eight of those games and firing themselves back into the Play-In spots out West after a dismal beginning to the season.
In the previous 25 games Lopez featured in, he averaged 7.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and a block on splits of .405/.406/.810. The veteran turns 38 in April, and there have been signs of him slowing down in his latter years. He was never the most athletic center, and his pairing with Giannis Antetokounmpo in the frontcourt was brilliant, but now it feels like that lack of speed is really harming him.
Milwaukee made a bold move this offseason to waive and stretch Damian Lillard to bring in Myles Turner as their big addition to the roster. Turner felt like a younger version of Lopez on a similar contract and fit perfectly with the new identity the team was looking for. Things haven't quite gone to plan, and more was expected of Turner, but had the Bucks kept Lopez, things would have looked significantly worse with the play of the Clippers' center right now.
Los Angeles has an ageing roster, and the addition of Lopez was an intriguing choice with his ability to stretch the floor and play as the backup center to Ivica Zubac. As a team, they have really picked it up despite the drop-off from Lopez, and the lack of shooting could cause his minutes to diminish further.
He has played more than 12 minutes in each game this year, but shooting a measly 18.2 percent from deep could see Tyronn Lue change things up as they rise in the standings and look towards the postseason, in which Lopez was dreadful against the Indiana Pacers last season and found himself dropped from the starting lineup, playing just seven minutes.
The Clippers have had a much better start to the year than the Milwaukee Bucks, but the recent performances of Brook Lopez will ease the pain of seeing him move on from the team. If his shooting doesn't pick up, he may find himself out of the rotation come the playoffs.